Cups legacies continue for Warragul, Mildura & Bendigo mares

Harness Breeders Victoria's Trots Country Cups series continues with a look back at the mares who have added Warragul, Mildura and Bendigo cups to their trophy cabinets.

Using Harness Racing Victoria's terrific Honour Rolls feature, we explore where the champions of the past's bloodlines are today.
 

Warragul Pacing Cup

Sunday 4 April 2021

Warragul Pacing Cup has a strong record of winning mares, the most recent was McArdle mare Nike Franco, who amassed over $913,000 in stakes and in the USA recorded a best time of 1:48! She has had her first Australian foal this season just concluded, with a Somebeachsomewhere colt bred by HBV members, Alabar, arriving in 2020.

Another mare with lots to look forward to is Jazzam (Christian Cullen, $231,000). She was bred by the Fusinato family, who have continued with her in the barn. Her offspring include Rocknroll Pearl (Rock N Roll Heaven, $92,000) and most recently she has produced a 2020 American Ideal filly and a 2019 Always B Miki filly, but her eldest daughters have started to be bred as well. Western Jazz (Western Ideal, unraced) has several foals, most recently a 2020 Sweet Lou filly and 2018 Bettor’s Delight filly, but also Louisiana Jo (Roll With Joe), who is currently racing. Megans Art (Art Major, unraced) now has a 2019 Hes Watching filly and 2020 Lazarus filly on the ground.
 

Mildura Trotting Cup

Off these winning trotting mares, Fiona’s Flair is still leaving her mark (take a look at David Brehaut’s article on impactful mares in Maternal Instincts) and, most recently, Illawong Helios (Majestic Son, $272,000) has started producing, with Illawong Manooka (Muscle Hill) born in 2018 and having recently had his debut, and in 2019 a colt by Father Patrick.
 

Midura Trotting Cup

Friday 9 April

None of the recorded winners of the Mildura Trotting Cup have bred to the present day.

Mildura Pacing Cup

Saturday 10 April

Natty Kiwi we’ve looked at in an earlier edition of the series, and of the other mares to have added a Mildura Pacing Cup to their cabinet, only 1963’s winner Spokane (Floodlight) has progeny still racing today. Unfortunately, that one modern runner is a gelding – Tedkane (Restrepo) – so the Spokane line will cease to appear on racetracks once he retires. He arrived through six generations of mares – Demon Star, Dollar Dianne, Tartan Dollar, Tartan Showoff, Tartan Dynasty and Weerrook Dynasty.

Bendigo Trotting Cup

Friday 23 April 2021

The Bendigo Trotters Cup has a strong list of mare winners since it’s early days, including champion Scotch Notch twice in the early 1980s. Two victors’ bloodlines are still going strong – 2009 winner Ella Powell (Earl) and 1984 winner Wongala Supreme (Speed Supreme).

Wongala Supreme’s daughter Gala Action (Red Coach Glory) threw Ima Cougar, an unraced Keystone Salute mare, who put a Bacardi Lindy foal on the ground in 2019, and also Serene Selene (Keystone Salute), whose most recent progeny is a 2018 Blitzthemcalder filly.

Ella Powell (Earl, $118,000) continues to be bred in addition to being a grand dam. Her most recent foals were a 2019 colt by Royal Aspirations named Un Chatz and a 2018 Creatine filly (Ellatine), while her eldest daughter, the unraced Sundon mare Tricia Powell, has bred Travel Bug (Dream Vacation, $70,000) and most recently a 2020 Volstead filly.